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Friday, June 10, 2011

It's time for Part III of Building your Home Bar: the essential non-essentials! These things are like shaving cream on your honeymoon-you don't technically need them, but they sure make life better!

Some of these selections are your standard spirits' more exotic cousins: cachaça, mezcal and pisco, in particular. If you've ever had a caipirinha, you know that cachaça is more than Brazilian rum, and tequila simply can't be substituted when a recipe calls for mezcal. For cachaça, try Weber Haus' Silver, and pick up a bottle of single village Del Maguey, which is widely accepted as the highest standard of mezcal. Marian Farms makes a terrific Pisco that's also biodynamic!

Next come the vermouths: this is one area where you will need all three varieties. Vermouth is a fortified wine (like sherry) that's been mulled with various other ingredients; it's essentially a cocktail spice, like salt or pepper. You'll need a red (sweet), white (dry) and blanc (a sweet white). For an exceptional red vermouth, Carpano Antica can't be beat, but Dolin or even humble Martini & Rossi will do in a pinch. Dolin's dry vermouth is excellent, and their version of blanc is also quite good. It's just as wise to pick up a bottle of Lillet instead of a traditional blanc vermouth, however; Lillet is also a fortified white wine that plays a role in many cocktails, and does terrific double duty.

Campari, an Italian bitter liquor, is a favorite of mine and so it has a place in the essential non-essentials. Over ice with a dash of soda, it makes the perfect summer cocktail, and while not everyone has a taste for it, you might be surprised by how refreshing it is!

You'll want a bottle of orange curacao or triple sec in your liquor cabinet; Cointreau is really just a more expensive version of the same thing, so feel free to splurge on it if you'd like.

Finally, you'll want a brandy; head to your local liquor store and pick out a bottle you can afford. As a tip, more expensive cognac is simply brandy from the region of Cognac, like champagne and sparkling wine.

And from the "others" category, don't forget to pick up a bottle or two of bitters. The must-haves are Angostura and Peychaud's bitters, but orange, lemon and even chocolate bitters can be great cocktail additions!

Next week, we'll enjoy the most decadent list of all: the non-essentials for the cocktails you love! And as a reward, another sour: this one with whiskey and Meyer lemon!

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker; if using egg white, first dry shake. If not, shake for no more than 10 seconds with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Notes: a whiskey sour has just 4 ingredients: whiskey, the base spirit, lemon juice, the citrus, simple syrup to sweeten and egg white, to make a magnificent foam. Raw egg has gotten a bad rap since people started buying eggs from chickens in someone else's yard, so many recipes omit it. It's a personal preference, and while the drink does miss that wonderful texture, it's just as delicious!

When I first started going out to the bars, I always ordered whiskey sours. I can imagine with meyer lemons they're pretty good - it's been ages since I've had one, I get acid reflux the moment I sip whiskey now, grr! Plus it's made me sick 800 too many times, hahah! Have a great weekend!

Author and editor Lena is a ballet scholar and classically trained coloratura soprano who adores F. Scott Fitzgerald and hand-written notes,
believes every household should have a chilled bottle of Champagne on hand,
and loves very few things more than a perfectly placed polka dot.